The room was nice. Velvet wallpaper with gold designs, gold moldings, a big Cocobolo table sitting in the middle. The chairs were red velvet as well, with gold brass endings. They looked comfortable as all hell.

The room was a bit cluttered, however, by camera and makeup crews. Steve Sayors was getting his pre-interview work done. The nameless XWF makeup crew was trying to polish up Hanari, but he kept brushing them off.....

He looked good enough on his own.

Finishing his water bottle, he handed it off to another nameless person (although they were wearing an XWF Crew name badge, he didn't bother to look).

"Almost ready guys!" one of the makeup crew said over the commotion, and the cameramen and boom microphone holders scrambled to get into place.

Hanari adjusted his top buttons, showing off the top of his chest and his gold chain with the Dominican Flag pendant. He has a shit eating grin on his face, as he usually does, and Steve was preparing his notes for the interview on the yellow flip pad that lie on the expensive table.

"Roll in 5" someone said. He didn't care who, they didn't matter. The only one that mattered in the room right now was him.


Just then Hanari put his hand up.

"Wait, mang, wait. There's something missing!"

There was an audible sigh in the room as the camera crew stepped out from behind their cameras.

"What? What do you need?" another nameless badge wearing buffoon scooted over to the table like he mattered.

"This table es empty, holmes. If we gonna do dis, we need hydration."

"Ahh, water. Okay....get this man some water, stat!"

Hanari put his hand up again...

"No, holmes, no. No agua. Here...."

He snapped his fingers. A young looking female intern came in with a bottle of Avion Tequila and 2 glasses. She smiled as she set it on the table, one in front of Hanari, and one in front of Steve. He waved it off, but she placed it there anyway.

He smiled, handing her a folded $100 bill. He smiled big and turned to leave, Hanari's eyes following her ass in her dress pants as he walked.

Turning back towards the bottle he popped it, pouring a shot into each glass.

"Okay, now we ready."

The nameless badge wearing buffoon rolled his eyes, and signaled to the camera.





"Hello everyone and welcome back! Today I have a very special interview for all of you. Its a man you've all see before, and some of you may even be a fan of. He is a former XWF Television Champion, Tag Team Champion, runner up at this year's March Madness tournament and has a Universal Title shot on the upcoming Savage......he is, Hanari Carnes! Hello again, Hanari!

"Hola, Steve. Muchas Gracias! Excited to be on ya program, hermano."

Taking the shot of Avion, he pours another as Steve folds his hands and asks him the first question.

"Hanari. You've been taking the XWF by storm as of late. You are one of the most talked about entities on the roster. I wanted to get your thoughts on this most recent March Madness tournament. Do you feel it was all a waste, having lost in the finals?"

"Chu know Steve, I don't. I think et was very good for my career, ya? Madison es one hell of a competitor and I am honored to get as far as I did. Beating competition like Thunder Knuckles and Big D has gotten me ready to face the upper tier of dis roster."

"But with Madison leaving along side her long time client the Engineer......doesn't that make you King of the XWF by default?"

Hanari smiled, laughing a bit to himself.

"Chu know Steve, I guess it does."

"Is that something you plan on celebrating on Savage? I know you had a fiesta when you won the Television Title"

"After only 2 matches here....I may add. But no, holmes, no I don't. I could.....but that would be a Shawn Warstein type of thing. Cha know? Celebrating something I did not achieve, taking a short cut and using a loophole to crown myself as something I am not......."

".....But Warstein IS the Universal Champion."

"Is he though? Or es he holding de belt until someone who sees through his bullshit takes it from him? Check it out, holmes.......Warstein being de Universal Champion es a fallacy. A farce. A skidmark on de great name of dis company. If I would have beaten Madison, I would proudly say I am de King. El Rey. Cha know? If he would have beaten de Engineer, in de match that for six whole months de Engineer didn't think he was worthy of, den he could proudly call himself Campeón Universal. Cha dig?"

"I think I see where you are coming from."

Hanari takes another shot of tequila, then pours another into the glass.

"So, then, this match. It is a triple threat for the title. You've been very vocal to this point about your distaste for how the event was booked. Do you want to elaborate on that?"

"Sure......."

He shifts a bit in his chair, looking at the camera and twisting his lips into a condescending smile.

Pearly whites.

"I am not sure who does de booking around dis place. I am not sure, whoever they may be, es totally qualified, cha? Griffin MacAlister has no reason to be in dis match. Dis could be de biggest Main Event Savage has ever had. Think about it. Shawn Warstein......he steals de title from de Engineer at de Pay Per View, beats up an already beaten and broken man. He walk around wit his chest puffed, with his balls in his hands, cha? He feels he can do whatever he wants because he has de top prize in de game. He could be protected, like Robert Main. Sheltered. Coddled. He loves de perks. He has turned his back on everyone who ever believed in him as a top competitor and showed his true colors as de snake he really es......

Den, chu have me. Hanari Carnes. De young gun. De future of dis company. The Caribbean sensation who has been breaking arms all the way up to de Universal picture. The man who tries to do everything de right way....with honor, respect.......de man who stood up to Apex, the face of tyranny in dis business, and took dem down without batting an eyelash. The man who has no fear.

THAT, Steve, es a marquee booking. THAT gets de niños y niñas talking, eh? That es booking 101. Dinero. Big time.

Den chu add Griffin MacAlister to de mix. ¿Por qué? That es de burning question. Why? A man who wrestles part time and hes claim to fame es talking how he es going to kick de shit out of Peter Gilmour dis week. News flash, EVERYONE KICKS DE SHIT OUT OF PETER GILMOUR. Dis hombre es nothing, a pee on, a peasant.....sure, I respect his effort and I respect him showing no fear and taking on all challengers face-to-face.......but de fact es he has not earned dis match. Putting him in it diminishes de allure of dis match, it waters it down. It makes it not as appealing. So whoever books dis around here, pull chor shit together, ese, and realize that Hanari Carnes winning dis title could have been so much bigger."

"So are you nervous that Griffin's presence in the match may alter your ability to get a fair shot at Warstein?"

"No.....no, no, no. Griffin doesn't matter. Hell, put five of him in de match with me and Shawn and I still come out on top. I just am looking out for de best interest of dis company and Hanari vs. Warstein is Pay Per View level proportions.......with Griffin in it.....eh.....I see why dey put it on Savage, ya know?"

He looks at Steve's full shot glass.

"Chu know, that's expensive tequila, hombre."

"I'm good for now.....so Hanari, let me ask you........if you aren't worried about Griffin how about Warstein's "friend", Atara Themis? What are your thoughts on her possible involvement in the matchup?"

Hanari chuckles.

"Steve......I don't care who he bring. Quite frankly, et would no surprise me if she es his ace in de hole. She es his Jenny Myst, trying to interfere in matches so her walking dildo can come out of de shit smelling like roses.....

Steve...he doesn't see de bigger picture. Even if she come with him to de ring next Saturday, she doesn't matter. She's a pawn. She's not even dat hot. Pretty soon, she will retire after a lackluster 'career', and what will he be left with? She's gonna get fat. I'm talking electric scooter fat. Can't really move under her own steam fat. Then what will Warstein have? The memories of de once marginally hot valet who now needs assistance to get through Wal-Mart and the shame that he even relied on her in de first place. She doesn't matter, and if he was smart--which we know he's not--he will tell that rotting pile of flesh to stay in de back, where she belongs."

Steve seems a bit uneased by Hanari's sudden change in attitude. The room got a bit more intense.

"Right. Okay. So Hanari.....tell us, what kind of Universal Champion will you be, if of course you win it?"

"Well, Steve, I AM going to win it. So let me tell chu my plans. The times are changing in XWF. There is a storm brewing. The APEX era es over, the old, dusty campeones are on their way to de landfill and de new wave of talent is about to take over. Hanari Carnes es de new wave. Dis company needs a reset. For far too long et has been de same shit over and over. Now that Warstein has blown his load and there es no more briefcases floating around, XWF can get back to basics. A top tier campeón dat dey can depend on. A campeón that will not back down from competition. A campeón dat will do things de right way. A campeón dat will do his best to salvage dis companies damaged reputation dat Robert Main's inner circle left behind. We were on de right track with Engy. He was different, sure, but he was respected. He was the new face. He was everything dis company hasn't been. Now....he's gone and et is MY time to pick up de pieces and put dis puzzle back together.

As long as Shawn Warstein holds dat belt, dis company can never reach de promise land."

"Alright. Hanari just a few more for ya, don't wanna keep ya all day."

"I'm more than happy to be here, Steve."

"A lot of people have written to me and told me that they are a big fan of you. They love your drive, love your passion, your enthusiasm....but they aren't a big fan of your method. Breaking people's arms is a major thing, Hanari, and it can really alter and sometimes end someone's career. For as much as your peach about being the good guy in all of this, what do you have to say about your...not such a good guy....finisher?"

Hanari, realizing Steve wasn't going to drink his shot, took his and downed it. He then poured two more, one in each glass and slid it over. Snapping his fingers, the young intern with the hot ass brought him in a cigar and a matchbook. This time he slipped her a $50, and followed her ass with his eyes again. Turning back towards Steve, he cleared his throat.

"Its moments like dis that legends are made. Moments like dis dat put chu on de map. Who will rise to de occasion? Who will choke under pressure? Who will be the bad guy, and who will be just anotha victim?

I no consider myself a 'bad guy', no, but chu gotta get baaaaaddd sometimes around here. Chu gotta reach down deep and find that part inside chu....that internal bad guy....and chu gotta bring him out. Everyone on dis roster is a target....and de choice lies within each of us. Target or become one. I do what I have to do to win. My whole life I've done what I needed to do to survive, chico. Dis es no different. Sometimes, es es about establishing dominance. There es no more dominant of a way to beat someone than to snap a bone. Shawn Warstein, love him or hate him, es going to get his arm broken on Savage. Chu no wanna see it, close ya eyes once I lock in Viva La Republic, put it on mute, and count to ten. Den, open ya eyes and see me hold up de one thing in dis business dat defines greatness."

Steve nods, writing something on his notepad.

"And Hanari....final thoughts. Tell us what it would mean to you to be Universal Champion?"

This time Hanari, who had the cigar in his mouth now, struck a match and brought the butt to the head.

"He can't smoke that in here!" The nameless buffoon shouted.

"It's fine, we're almost done." Steve said.

"So, Hanari?"

Shifting in his chair once again, he spoke after blowing out two puffs of cigar smoke.

"Chu know, Steve....when I first some here, I was overwhelmed. Not only was I in a new country, in a new profession, but I was walking into one of, if not the, top wrestling organization on de planet. I was honored, humbled, and blessed. Still am. I was proud to go to work everyday. I was proud to put on dat XWF windbreaker to go to de store. I felt like I was where I belonged and I was gonna give it my all. I dreamed of one day being de campeón here, and being like all de other legends who came before me.

Den, something changed. After I lost de titulo de television, I was on de shelf for a bit with an injury. I got to sit home and watch what XWF was becoming. I began to feel different. De politics, de unfair match endings, de nonsense they put on de airwaves. I began to feel sick. While I was out, dis was not de place I had first walked into. We had a campeón who was untouchable because de suits in de back allowed it. We had stupid skits and segments, we had old heads returning and crowded up de title pictures because dey could not stand sitting home and letting their legacies live. We had one group running the entire roster, and the puppet masters in de back stuffing their pockets because of it.

When I came back, I vowed to make dis place better. I vowed to bring honor back. I vowed to take down the de face of oppression and give a beam of hope to all de young talent who was being buried. I knew it would be a hard road. I knew I wasn't going to be handed anything--even though dat became de norm around here--because I wasn't "one of them". I would have to work hard, keep my mouth shut, and earn my shot. It has taken a bit, but I have done it.

The times are changing, the tide if shifting, can ya feel it, Steve? Revolución es in de air! Hanari Carnes will lead in de new era of XWF as the campeón it needs, de campeón it deserves, de campeón of de future."

"And if you don't beat Shawn Warstein?"

"I am going to beat him. Not just beat, I am going to hurt him. But, for sake of argument, Steve, les' say I do not. I am no going away. I have gotten to where I vowed to get. If Shawn escapes dis time, chu better believe I will be on his ass. Dis will not be over. Hanari Carnes WILL be de campeón universal......no matter how many arms I have to break to do it."

"Well, thank you for coming on with us today, Hanari. Always an exciting interview."

Hanari stood up, Steve stood up, they shook hands.

"Before we go off air, mang.....I wanted chu to preview something......"

Grabbing the bottle off the table, he pointed to the cameras.

"I had a lot of hard working people in de back work on dis....and i think it came out good....what chu think?"

Steve turned towards the cameras, and on the screen came the foreshadowing of every XWF show after next Saturday.